Winding mechanism



Nov. l0, 1953 l.. J. wouwINnING MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb.28, 1950 Nov. 10,` 1953 L. J. WOLF WINDING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l:

Filed Feb. 28. 1950 a ,/Z// fag. I

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 Lloyd J. 'Wolf, Racine, Wis., assigner to Twin.Disc ClutchfCnm-pany, Racine, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinApplication February 28, 1950, Serial N o. 146,663

4 claims. l

My invention relates to a winding vmechanism for handling `web `orlstrip `maiwrrialunder constant tension while the web is periodicallymoved 'inopposite directions through coating, dyeing or otherconditioning material.

In `-rnechanisms as new employed, the web is alternately wound on oneroll while being unwound from another rol-l and, between the rolls, theweb is passed through `one or more bathscontaining `the'liqu-id topeapplied. After each traverse of the web through the baths, the directionof movement of the web is reversed and these reversalscontinue until thedesired `conditioning or treatment of the web has been completed. `A

serious problem with such mechanisms :is the maintenance of'Y asubstantially' `constant tension on the web during both directions. ofmovement between theroils. I

It is therefore one object of -my invention `to devise a windingmechanism in which a web material is periodically moved 1in oppositedirections between a pair of rolls which alternately act as winding andunwind'ing rollsland in `which provision isl made `for maintainingconstant tension on the web.

A further object is to providev a mechanism. `of the character indicatedin which the `rolls are individually connected to independent powersources `through power transmissions., that transmission which is`connected to the winding roll being arranged vto automatically `and`instantaneously adjust its outputispeed and'torque to meet varying loadconditions while `the other transmission functions asva brake, both.transmissions cooperating `to maintain alsubstantially constant`tension onthe web.

These and furtherobjects of the invention will be set forth in vthefollowing specification, refer- `ence being had to` the accompanyingdrawings andthe novel means by which said objects are eifectuated willbe-denitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1` is a sectional elevation cfa power transmission forming part`ofthe winding mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of a'windi'ng mechanism `whichincorporates the transmission shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe mechanism shown Referring` to Fig. l,` thenumeral Nl designates Aan input shaftyhaving keyed thereto apulley IIand whose delivery end is connectedto one end of. anannular housing `I2formingpart oran hydraulic couplingfIS. The housinglz includes .2spaced, `transverse walls which `are respectively provided internally`of the housing with a plurality of radial blades f4 and I5 to therebyform `the spaced, facing and connected impellers I6 and IT,respectively, of the coupling and which cooperate in the usual mannerwith twin runners or turbines presently described.

Bolted to the other'end ofthe housing I2 is an internal ring gear I8forming part of a `planetary gear train I9. The ring gear I8 meshes with`a plurality of planet pinions 20, each of `which Vis journaled on astub shaft 2I mounted in acari-ier 22 that includes a sleeve 23 keyed`or splinedly connected `to a shaft 24 coaxial with the impellers. Theleft end of this shaft, as viewed in Fig. 1, is piloted in a, bearing 25whose outer race is .mounted in a sleeve 26 having a flange portiongripped between the flanged end of the shaft 'I0 andthe adjacent,transverse wall ofthe housing I2. The opposite-end of the shaft 24 isjournaled by means presently described.

Oppositely facing, bladed runnersl 21 and 28 are symmetricallypositioned `between the impellers I6 and I'I in working `relationthereto, respectively, and their linner portions `are secured to :a `hub29 which `is keyed or splined `to theshaft 24. Accordingly, the rotatingspeed ofthe planet pinion `car- Iier 22 .is always equal to that of `therunners. Leakage of liquid from the coupling at the `right `end isprevented by a bellows seal -generally indicated by the numeral 30 andat the opposite end bythe 'inner end ofthe shaft I 0.

`'The planet pinions 20 also mesh with a sun `gear 32 which i'sjournaled on a sleeve 33 that fits ronthe shaft 24. The sun gear 32isprovided with an `extension 34 that is keyed to an output 4member,denoted by the pulley 35, which includes `a sleeve 36 .journaled in abearing 31 that is mounted in a supporting frame38.

The winding mechanism which includes the above transmission isschematicallyillustrated in Figs'. 2' and 3 to which reference will nowbe made, parts which are identical with those .shown in Fig. l 1 beingdesignated by the same numerals. It includesa rst winding roll 33 havingfast :to oneend thereof a pulley 4I) which is connected to the outputpulley 354of a power transmission, 'inciuding the coupling I3 andgeartrain I9' as shown in;Fig. l. The input pulley I"I of the 'transmissionconnects with a motor 42 which runs at constant speed in `a clockwisedirection as shown in Fig. 2. A second winding roll 43, spaced aconvenientdistance from the roll38, has fast on one end there- `of apulley '44 which is; connected to the output pulley 35er a Apowertransmission, identical with V tion may be provided between the rolls 41and `48, such as gears (not shown), and that the surfaces of these rollsare related so that they exert a gripping or pinching action on the web5I passed therebetween and move the web at a substantially constantlinear speed. The drivingY and gripping relations of rolls of this typeare well known in the art.

Baths 52 and 53 for holding the treating or conditioning liquid arelocated between the gripY ping rolls and the winding rolls 39 and 43 andidler rolls 54 and 55 are mounted in the baths 52 and 53, allrespectively. The web 5l extends between andV has its opposite endsapadjust to this varying load condition. The available horsepowertherefore remains substantially constant and the motor 46 operates underoptimum conditions. Further, the relative slip of the runners 21 and 28in the transmission connected to the roll 43 are controlled by the gearratio of the gear train so that heating of the coupling never exceedsthat which can be adequately -cooled.

It will fbe understood that at the beginning of the operation, i. e.,when the roll 43 is emptyror propriately secured to the winding rolls 39and 43 and between the latter rolls, it extends partially around theidler rolls 54 and 55 in the respective baths and also between thegripping l rolls 41 and 48 whose engagement with the web is sufficientto move the same in the directionV determined by the rotation of thelatter rolls. The baths 52 and 53 are'merely intended to illustrate atypical use of the mechanism and do ,not form any part of the invention.Y

In the operative condition as shown in Fig. 2,

the web 5l is moving from right to'left, i. e., it' is being unwoundfrom the roll 39 and wound on Y the roll 43. Accordingly, the motor 59is rotating counterclockwise and since the motor 46 is `rotating inthesame direction, the latters drive of the winding roll' 43 also moves theweb in the same direction and maintains a vsubstantially constanttension on the web between the nearly empty, its rotational speed isconsiderably greater than when the roll is fullror nearly full. InotherV words, this roll speed varies from a Ymaximum to a minimum duringthe winding operation, with the web 5I being fed to the roll 43 at asubstantially constant linear speed. The mechanism automaticallycompensates for these rotational speed changes through the rotationalslippage provided by the planetary gear and coupling and at the sametime constantly increasesV itsV torque delivery so as to maintain asubstantially constant pull on the web as the combined Ydiameter YofVthe roll 43 andthe wound web increases. On the other side of thegripping rolls 41 and 48, the web 5l Yis drawn thereby at sub- Ystantially constant linear speed from the then roll 43 and the grippingrolls 41 and 48.l At the same time, the 1notor'42 is rotating in aclockwise direction which means that the impellers I6 and Hof theconnectedtransmission are rotating in the same direction, but the pullof the gripping rolls 41 and 48 rotates the roll 39 in an unwinding orcounterclockwise direction and this rotational movement is impartedthrough the planetary gear of the latter transmission to the runners 21and 28 thereof which accordingly rotateV oppositely to the cooperatingimpellers. Hence, the hydraulic coupling I3 that is connected to vtheroll 39 acts as a hydrodynamic brake on the web movement in thedirection shown in Fig. 2 and serves to maintain a substantiallyconstant tension on the web between the roll 39 andthe gripping rolls 41and 48. Y Y The'rotational speed of the output pulley 35 of thetransmission that is connected to the roll 43 is controlled by the loadimposed thereon and the interaction between the component parts of theplanetary gear train arising from the coloperative action of themechanical and hydraulic unwinding roll 39 and the coaction between theY Y gripping rolls and the roll 39 also maintains a. substantiallyconstant tension on the portion of the web therebetween. y

When the roll 39 has been unwound sufficiently, the motor 59 is reversedin an appropriate manner, but the motors 42 and 46v continue to rotatein the directions indicated in Fig. 2. The

roll 39 then becomes the winding roll and the rollV 43 the unwindingroll so that the web 5| moves from left to right` Under theseconditions, the transmission connected to the roll 39 functionsY in thesame manner as described for Y `the transmission connected to the roll431When Ythis was being wound, and the latter transmission then 'acts asa brake, all to maintain the'web tension substantially constant. The webmove ment is periodically reversed in the above manner until the desiredconditioning has been accomplished.

. I claim: Y

1. Winding mechanism for web materialcomprising a pair of rolls,reversible gripping means between which the web ispassed for alternatelymovingV the web in opposite directions between drives of the lattertransmission. They load on the output pulley 'of the' transmission 45 isrepresented by the winding roll 43 for the'web Vdirectim shown andl itsincreasing weight as Ythe web is wound therearound. Due to the flexiblej characteristics of the last/named transmission 4arising from theability of ,its coupling and planetary gear train components torespectively rotate relative to each other, the output speed 'and torqueautomatically Vand instantaneouslyr the rolls to direct the web towardsone roll orf winding thereon whilev unwinding from the other 1roll, andtransmitting means for each roll'including an hydraulic coupling havingan impeller driven at constant speed in a direction to wind theassociatedroil, a runner cooperably related to the impeller, andplanetary gear means interposed between the runner and the associatedroll including `a plurality of gear elements,

one of the elements being connected to the im peller, VanotherV elementbeing connected to,V the runner and another Yelement being connected toYthe associated roll, one coupling serving to transmit power to one ofAthe rolls for winding and to arssistthe movement -o the Vweb and theother coupling acting as a hydrodynamicV brake on the unwinding ofztheother roll whereby asubstantially constant tension is maintained on theweb in each direction,v and. each planetary gear l V means automaticallyadjusting .tol the changing torque requirements as the weight of 'the'asso.- ciated roll changes.l f Y l j abvvindifngrneenanism Vfojr'webmaterialV 'cmprising a pair of rolls, reversible gripping means betweenwhich the web is passed for alternately moving the web in oppositedirections between the rolls to direct the web towards one roll forwinding thereon while unwinding from the other roll, and transmittingmeans for each roll including an hydraulic coupling having an impellerdriven at constant speed in a direction to wind the associated roll, arunner cooperably related to the impeller, and planetary gear meansinterposed between the runner and the associated roll including a ringgear, a sun gear and a carrier supporting a plurality of planet pinionsin mesh with the gears, the ring gear being connected to the impeller,the sun gear being connected to the associated roll and the carrierbeing connected to the runner, one coupling serving to transmit power toone of the rolls for winding and to assist the movement of the web andthe other coupling acting as a hydrodynamic brake on the unwinding ofthe other roll whereby a substantially constant tension is maintained onthe web in each direction, and each planetary gear means automaticallyadjusting to the changing torque requirements as the weight of theassociated roll changes.

3. Winding mechanism for web material cornprising a pair of rolls, apair of gripping rollers between which the web is passed to move thesame towards one roll for winding while unwinding the other roll, apower transmitting means for the winding roll including an hydrauliccoupling having an impeller driven at constant speed in the direction ofthe winding roll, a runner cooperably related to the impeller andplanetary gear means interposed between the runner and the winding rollincluding a plurality of gear elements, one of the elements beingconnected to the impeller, another element being connected to the runnerand another element being connected to the winding roll, and atransmitting means for the unwinding roll including an hydrauliccoupling having an impeller driven at constant speed in a directionopposite to that of the unwinding roll, a runner oooperably related tothe last named impeller and planetary gear means interposed between thelast named runner and the unwinding roll including a plurality of gearelements, one of the last named elements being connected to the lastnamed impeller, another last named element being connected to the lastnamed runner and another last named element being connected to theunwinding roll, the last named coupling acting as a hydrodynamic brakeon the unwinding roll to assist in maintaining a constant tension on theweb and each planetary gear means automatically adjusting to thechanging torque requirements as the Weight of the associated rollchanges.

4. Winding mechanism for web material comprising a pair of rolls, a pairof gripping rollers between which the web is passed to move the sametowards one roll for winding while unwinding the other roll, a powertransmitting means for the winding roll including an hydraulic couplinghaving an impeller driven at constant speed in the direction of thewinding roll, a runner cooperably related to the impeller and planetarygear means interposed between the runner and the winding roll includinga ring gear, a sun gear and a carrier supporting a plurality of planetpinions in mesh with the gears, the ring gear being connected to theimpeller, the sun gear being connected to the winding roll and thecarrier being connected to the runner, and a transmitting means for theunwinding roll including an hydraulic coupling having an impeller drivenat constant speed in a direction opposite to that of the unwinding roll,a runner cooperably related to the last named impeller and planetarygear means interposed between the last named runner and the unwindingroll including a ring gear, a sun gear and a carrier supporting aplurality of planet pinions in mesh with the gears, the last named ringgear being connected to the last named impeller, the last named sun gearbeing connected to the unwinding roll and the last named carrier beingconnected to the last named runner, the last named coupling acting as ahydrodynamic brake on the unwinding roll to assist in maintaining aconstant tension on the web and each planetary gear means automaticallyadjusting to the: changing torque requirements as the weight of theassociated roll changes.

LLOYD J. WOLF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

